Stand Still, Stay Silent
by Diretooth
Summary: "People don't climb Mt. Ebott for good reasons." This fic is a retelling of Undertale, but from a first-person perspective. My hope is to capture the growth of Frisk from a scared, but determined kid to someone who can overcome all obstacles. Natch, it'll get a little heavy, since the apparent nature of Mt. Ebott. No crying until the end, alright?
1. Prologue: Stand Still, Stay Silent

_**PART ONE: PATIENCE**_ __

Stand still. Stay silent.  
Four words that have kept me safe.  
Stand still. Stay silent. And he won't be able to find me.  
I didn't know what made things change, what caused him to yell, to scream. It was a beautiful day outside, the birds were singing, the flowers were blooming... The same as every day.  
I heard him scream my name. "Stop hiding!" He shouted. "Don't you have anything better to do?!"  
My heart thundered, I was on the verge of tears.  
His words were red.  
My back was pressed against a tree, its rough bark digging through my striped shirt and into my back.  
Stand still, stay silent.  
I repeated these words in my mind, a mantra of survival, as long as I followed them, I'd be safe.  
He'd gone silent, he was listening for me.  
I heard my heart thundering in my chest, I tried to keep my breathing quiet.  
I could hear footsteps crunching the fallen leaves underfoot.  
He was coming.  
 _He was coming..._  
I called my name out softly, dragging it out, almost singing it. "I'm not going to _punish_ you, just come on out, everything will be fine."  
But his words were red.  
And he was coming closer.  
Closer.  
 _'Please...'_ I thought. _'Please don't come any closer...'_  
But he kept coming, I had nowhere to go, the only way to go was uphill, higher up the mountain.  
I heard his footsteps to my right.  
Closer...  
 _Closer..._  
"Found you."  
I ran.  
I ran as fast.  
"Get back here, you little snot!"  
I tripped and scrambled to get up, but he caught me, grabbed me by the back of my shirt and pulled me up.  
I grabbed at the ground, my fist closed around something.  
"You're not getting away this time! Once I'm done with you..!"  
I'd grabbed a stick, thinking quickly, I swung it.  
"Ow!" He screamed, letting me go.  
I ran, I ran harder than I'd run in my life.  
I looked at my surroundings, I needed a place to hide, somewhere he wouldn't find me.  
Then I saw it, a cave, it was almost impossible to notice it unless you were looking hard enough.  
I darted for it and ran inside.  
I struggled to move over roots that tangled across the ground.  
I heard my name, redder than ever before.  
He was coming.  
 _He was coming._  
I pushed forward, looking for anywhere I could hide, anywhere he couldn't see me.  
I heard him scream out words I wasn't allowed to say, "Get back here!"  
I stopped.  
There was light ahead, but only from the ceiling of the cave.  
It shined down on a hole, a deep hole.  
"Got you!"  
I spun around, his hand was mere inches away from my shirt.  
I stepped back and tripped over a root.  
Everything was strangely silent, his angry expression changed to one I'd never seen on his face.  
I blinked, I heard him scream my name.  
It was blue.  
I remembered screaming, even as the earth swallowed me whole.  
I could hear only the rushing of wind below me, then I struck the ground. Everything went dark...

 _"Long ago, two races ruled over the Earth: Humans and Monsters."_ Mom was reading to me, her words were a calm light blue. _"One day, war broke out between the two races."_ Her words became a heavier dark blue. " _After a long battle, the humans were victorious. They sealed the monsters underground with a magic spell."_ She turned the page, I could smell her perfume, light as it was, it smelled faintly of lemon. _"Many people believe their prison is beneath Mt. Ebott, where people have vanished."  
_ My eyelids drooped, I felt her warm hand against my back. _"I guess you're tired too, sweetie."_ She closed the book and set it on the table beside the bed. _"I'm sure they won't mind if you stay with me tonight."_ I gave a tired nod as she began to hum a lullaby.  
The sound of it, the colors it made, and the warmth of her beating heart filled me with determination...

_  
Author's Note:  
I'll try to keep these short.  
You're probably wondering, why the fixation on colors? In the game, some significant dialogue is rendered in colored text. I've always had this idea that Frisk had synesthesia, particularly regarding the feeling of words translating into color. In a world where there are many hidden truths, it's these moments that will stand out for Frisk most of all.  
Another thing you'll note is that Frisk's gender will be ambiguous. Just like in the game, and as Toby Fox intended, the gender of the main character is up for player, and in this case, reader interpretation. This does not mean, however, I will write from an overtly ambiguous standpoint. (Though, to keep from influencing you, the reader, I'll use they/them in these notes.)  
Finally, much of Frisk's past will be explored in an anachronistic manner. While he definitely isn't a tiny, helpless child, he's still fairly young and to a certain extent, naive.


	2. The Ruins: TuToriel

Red greeted me when I awoke, but only from the light shining on my closed eyes. When I opened my eyes, it was blinding, at first, I had to turn my head away from it.  
Gold greeted me, a scent like lemons filled my nostrils as I disturbed the flowers I laid on.  
I sat up, disoriented. Where was I? How did I get here?  
I blinked a few times, then what had happened crashed into me.  
My heart thundered as I looked around, looked for him, but he wasn't nearby.  
I'd fallen, fallen so far below the ground, and I remembered his expression.  
He'd looked...  
A sound interrupted my thoughts, I couldn't tell what it was, but it came from a hole in the cavern wall.  
"Hello?" I asked.  
I waited for several moments, my voice had echoed in the silent room.  
I looked up at the light.  
"Hello?" I called out. "Hello? Is anyone up there? I've fallen down here, can anyone hear me?"  
My voice echoed throughout the room, asking the same thing over and over again.  
But nobody came.  
I took a deep breath, the scent of lemon filled my nostrils.  
It filled me with determination.  
I walked to the hole, and found, of all things, a door. I walked through, to be greeted with the sight of a flower.  
"Howdy!"  
I froze. Though the word was a neutral white, the fact that it seemed to come from the flower itself startled me.  
"I'm Flowey."  
The flower was talking, I could see an actual face. Its name was the same kind of yellow as its petals.  
"Flowey the Flower!" It added, smiling cheerfully.  
I gave it a small wave.  
"Hmmm..." It sounded. "You're new the the Underground, aren'tcha? Golly, you must be so confused."  
I gave a slight nod. I wasn't so sure of this flower and its neutral words.  
"Someone ought to teach you how things work around here! I guess little old me will have to do. Ready? Here we go!"  
I felt strange, my heart seemed to... I wasn't sure how to describe it, other than it felt more 'there' than it was before.  
"See that heart?" Flowey asked, looking directly at my chest. I looked down, where my heart was, a red glow shone. I held my hand over it. It felt... warm.  
"That is your Soul, the very culmination of your being!"  
I looked back at them, this tiny thing was everything I was?  
"Your Soul starts off weak," They explained. "But can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV."  
I furrowed my brow and opened my mouth to ask what that meant, but they continued.  
"What's LV stand for? Why, Love, of course!" They declared.  
Love? I guess that would make sense.  
"You want some Love, don't you?" They asked. "Don't worry, I'll share some with you!"  
I tilted my head slightly. Something about this seemed... odd.  
They stuck their tongue out and winked at me. "Down here, Love is shared through..." White spinning things appeared over it, I blinked.  
He paused, as if they needed to think for a moment. "Little white... 'friendliness pellets'."  
I could see its face scrunch up slightly, it was the same face He made when he looked at me.  
"Are you ready?" It asked. "Move around! Get as many as you can!"  
I stepped to the side, as a general rule, I didn't like things that came right at me. Even if they were 'friendliness pellets'.  
Its eyes narrowed slightly. "Hey, buddy, you missed them." Its tone was decidedly less friendly. "Let's try again, okay?"  
Its eyes narrowed further. "Is this a joke?" It asked. "Are you braindead?" I winced, taken aback by the sudden hostility. "RUN. INTO. THE. BULLETS!"  
It glanced to the side, as though it could see the words it spoke as well.  
Something strange happened, the last word had turned into 'friendliness pellets'. My heart thundered, how had it done that?  
As the 'pellets' came at me, I moved out of their way.  
It stared at me for several seconds, then its face contorted into a nightmarish one, with black eyes and vicious fangs.  
"You know what's going on here, don't you?" It asked, its words black with malice. "You just wanted to see me suffer."  
I took several steps back, but I hit some sort of invisible wall.  
I was shoved forward as the walls pushed me, a ring of the bullets surrounded me. "Die!" It cried out.  
They came toward me. Slowly, slowly, they came toward me.  
I cried out for help, but they came closer, closer, even as it grinned at me  
I called out for help, but...  
The bullets never came, I looked up, as startled as Flowey.  
A ball of flame struck it, and it seemed to vanish into the ground, or perhaps it had been burnt up that quickly.  
From the shadows came what I could only describe as a monster.  
I scrambled back as it approached.  
"What a terrible creature, torturing a poor, innocent youth..." Its voice was female, and though it was as neutral a white as any other, there was an almost soft quality to them. She looked at me, "Ah, do not be afraid, my child." She said.  
She came closer and knelt down, holding her hand out to me. "I am Toriel," She stated, her name was a lovely shade of violet, one of my favorite colors. "Caretaker of the Ruins." The word 'Ruins' were a dark shade of red, which hinted at danger, but not any outright malice or hatred.  
"I pass through this place to see if anyone has fallen down." She smiled. "You are the first human to come here in a long time."  
She helped me up. "Come! I will guide you through the catacombs."  
The wall vanished, and my heart seemed to settle.  
"This way." She said before turning around to walk the other way.  
I followed close behind her, I absently realized I still had the stick I'd grabbed from the surface with me.  
I held it in both hands, wringing it as I wondered at what had just happened.  
A flower, of all things, had just tried to kill me  
The room we stepped into was bright, it took me several moments to get used to it.  
I looked around, the brick walls, and even the floor itself, was either a dark pink, or a light purple. Two staircases led up to a door, which was framed by green ivy.  
Before me, a bed of red leaves were piled between the ends of the stairs, the shadow of the ruins loomed above me, and I was filled with determination.  
Toriel stood at the top of the right staircase, watching me patiently, I followed behind her.  
We stepped into the Ruins, where I was greeted with more pink walls and flooring. to my right were six strange gray... things.  
"Welcome to your new home, innocent one." Toriel stated.  
I snapped my attention to her.  
New home? What?  
"Allow me to educate you in the operation of the Ruins." She stated, not giving me any time to speak.  
She walked straight to the right, stepping on two of the gray things, which were not obvious to me to be switches of some sort, just above a single lower one, walked past another one, and walked over two more.  
She then flipped a wall switch just beyond them, then walked over to the door, stood in front of it, and faced me.  
"The Ruins are full of puzzles." She explained. "Ancient fusions between diversions and doorkeys. One must solve them to move from room to room. Please adjust yourself to the sight of them."  
With that said, she moved to te next room.  
I stood there for several moments, unsure of how to react to this.  
I felt my heart thunder, I took a few deep breaths. Now wasn't the time to give into anxiety, nor was it time to freak out.  
I didn't want to worry my savior.  
I walked over to the door, and noted a sign to the left of it.  
I read it.  
 _'Only the fearless may proceed. Brave one, foolish ones. Both not walk the middle road.'_  
I blinked for a few moments, then realized what that meant.  
I looked at the switches, a slightly lighter path split them in half, only two laid in that path, Toriel had gone around the middle path, in a sense.  
I walked through the door.  
Immediately, I was greeted to the sight of a canal running past to the right. The scent of cool, clear water lifted my spirits.  
It brought a memory to mind.  
We were fishing, my Grandpa and me. The creek that ran through the back yard was swollen with water from the spring rains. Fish, swift and agile as ever, darted against the swift current. Their determination to go against the river's flow filld me with determination.  
"She's getting better." Grandpa said, breaking the silence that we maintained when we fished. His words were dark blue, even though he was smiling.  
I nodded. Even though he spoke, I knew not to. Stand still, stay silent, or you'll scare away the fish.  
Those were the words that he'd taught me when we first went fishing, they were the words that helped me when I couldn't catch any, and they'd help me later when I needed to...  
The resurgence of bad memories caused me to snap back to the present.  
Toriel was waiting patiently for me to approach. I walked toward her, and she smiled.  
"To make progress here, you will need to trigger several switches." She explained. "Do not worry, I have labelled the ones that you need to flip."  
My heart sank. How was I going to be able to deal with any puzzles if I never got to reason them out?  
She walked off as I opened my mouth to speak, I felt my anxiety return, and I had to take several deep breaths to calm myself. No. I wasn't going to break down, not here.  
Stand still, stay silent.  
There. I felt my heart calm.  
There was a sign in front of me, wooden, it looked like it had been there for a long time. Further back was a stone sign.  
I read the wooden sign.  
'Press [Z] to read signs!'  
I blinked several times.  
"What..?" I asked softly. I shook my head and looked at the stone sign.  
It was too far away to read, so I walked over to it.  
'Stay on the path.' It read.  
I put my hand to my face and took a deep breath.  
This was incredibly silly.  
I went back to the path and crossed the bridge. For as old as it looked, it felt incredibly sturdy. Ahead was a switch, with yellow words and arrows pointing directly at it.  
'Please press this switch.' The words read.  
I couldn't 'press' the switch, so much as pull it. Toriel stood at the bridge that crossed another canal.  
I pushed hard on the switch, it moved nowhere. She raised her hand to her mouth and made to help me.  
I looked her dead in the eyes and pulled it down.  
She realized I was being cheeky and hid a giggle before walking further along the hall.  
She came to rest in front of a set of spikes that blocked the way. Two switches, one with yellow markings on the left-hand side, and one without toward the right.  
I noted that the path led to the correct one, and the other was off the path. Clever!  
'Please press this switch too.' The correct switch's text read.  
I pressed on it, staring at Toriel, trying hard not to smile.  
She giggled, knowing full well that I'd caught her on a mistake she made.  
I pulled the switch, and the spikes behind her slid into the ground.  
"Splendid!" She declared happily. "I am proud of you, little one."  
I blinked. She was proud of me? For following her instructions, even though the puzzle wasn't that difficult to begin with?  
"Let us move to the next room." She stated, walking toward the exit.  
For a moment, I had a mental image of flipping the switch again, the spikes going up and impaling her.  
I jerked my hand away from the switch, my heart thundered.  
I sat down, taking deep breaths, wrapping my arms around my knees.  
No. No. These were bad thoughts.  
Though it wasn't often, I had occasional morbid fantasies, where people I loved, or complete strangers, died in horrible ways.  
This was the first time, in such a fantasy, that I'd been the cause of the death.  
Before, they merely brought tears. But this...  
This was something completely different, and I hated it.  
After I'd calmed down, I got up and followed Toriel into the next room.  
She looked at me, there was concern on her face, as though she were wondering what took me so long.  
"As a Human loving in the Underground," She stated. "Monsters may attack you."  
I blinked.  
What?!  
"You will need to be prepared for this situation." She explained matter-of-factly. "However, worry not! The process is simple. When you encounter a Monster, you will enter a Fight."  
This didn't bode well.  
"While you are in a Fight," She stated. "Strike up a friendly conversation."  
I blinked.  
What?  
"Stall for time. I will come to resolve the conflict. Practice talking to the dummy."  
She walked over to the entryway ahead and stood in front of it, watching me expectantly.  
I walked over to the dummy and stood in front of it.  
It did absolutely nothing, it just sat there.  
I didn't know what to say, but I was certain that Toriel was out of earshot.  
I felt my heart grow warm as I touched my cheek.  
A bandage met my fingers, it was the same I'd put on yesterday.  
Touching it dredged up a bad memory...

The apartment was filthy, and always smelled terrible.  
The bitter scent of beer mixed with the smell of mildew and sweat always made a potent combination that always set me on edge. It was the smell of despair.  
I heard my name, it was loud.  
He came in, stumbling slightly, holding a plate in his hand.  
"You didn't wash it correctly!" He screamed, throwing it at me.  
I ducked, it crashed overhead. I winced as a shard of the porcelain flew past, cutting my cheek.  
"Wash them again, and do it right this time!"  
He staggered off, and I sat on the ground, shaking.  
I stayed there for several minutes.  
Still, silent, before I gathered up the nerve to stand.  
I peeked into the other room, he was asleep.  
I imagined the ceiling crashing in on him, killing him and getting rid of him.  
I felt guilty for thinking that, and snuck past him to go to the bathroom.  
I opened the medicine cabinet and took out a bandage, washed my face after letting the water run for a bit, it always started out dirty and grimy, and washed my face carefully.  
The bandage was small, it didn't cover everything.  
I wondered what others would say, what excuse I would have to make up.  
Nobody would believe me, especially when he could lie better than I could tell the truth.  
Stand still, stay silent.  
That's how I would survive.  
I heard him wake up and come toward the bathroom.  
I went to the bathtub and hid behind the curtain.  
Half of the tub was filled with dirty water, from when he'd last had a bath, which was a week ago. The drain, clogged, did nothing to rid of it.  
I heard him sit on the toilet, smelled the urine and poo as he did his business, then heard his snores as he fell asleep again.  
I didn't dare move.  
 _I didn't dare move._

This I told the dummy, whispered softly so Toriel couldn't hear.  
After so long, holding in these secrets, it felt... nice. It felt like a weight had been taken off my shoulders, and I smiled.  
"Ah! Very good! You are very good!" Toriel exclaimed before heading straight out.  
I sighed and followed after her.  
"There is another puzzle in this room..." She trailed off for a moment. "I wonder if you can solve it?"  
My heart leapt. Finally, she was allowing me to try to solve a puzzle myself!  
I followed Toriel as she walked down the hall. A large frog leapt in between us, startling me.  
I cried out, startled.  
It ribbited, staring directly at me.  
Floundering for words, I meekly stated, "You look very nice."  
I saw it blush very faintly, it looked flattered.  
Toriel came closer, and it froze, looking directly at her.  
It slowly moved away, avoiding eye contact as Toriel glared at it.  
Her eyes narrowed as it left our field of vision, then she continued onward.  
There was another stone sign not far from where I stood. I went to it and read it.  
 _'The western room is the eastern room's blueprint.'_  
I pondered the meaning, and realized it was likely another path puzzle. I backtracked a little, stared at the path for a moment, then headed back to Toriel's side.  
I paused a moment.  
To Toriel.  
Tutorial.  
I grimaced at the pun my brain came up with. What was worse was, this was entirely how she was acting.  
Like one giant tutorial.  
I reached Toriel's side, beyond her was a literal field of spikes surrounded by deep water.  
My heart thundered, there were no switches nearby.  
Unless...  
"This is the puzzle, but..." She trailed off. "Here, take my hand for a moment."  
I realized she was going to take me through yet another puzzle.  
"I can do it." I said softly.  
"I'm sorry..?" She started.  
"I said I can do it!" I shouted. "I don't need to be led around like a little baby through every puzzle we come across! I'm not stupid!"  
She looked shocked, and worse, she looked like I'd slapped her across the face.  
I instantly regretted my words.  
"A-at least let me see if I can do it before you lead me along?" I asked.  
She stared at me for several moments, unsure of how to react.  
I hesitantly walked over to the spikes and looked around.  
There weren't any switches anywhere nearby, and the water looked deep enough that I couldn't just wade across.  
I looked at Toriel. "I-if I touch one, will it shock me or hurt me?" I asked.  
She shook her head.  
I touched one, it did nothing. I pushed against it, very slowly, I noted it moved under pressure.  
I experimentally put my foot down on it. It sank a little, but it wasn't enough, and the upward pressure would only make my feet sore.  
"I know how to solve it." I said meekly. "But I'm not heavy enough to cross through."  
I held my left hand out and she took it, smiling.  
"We'll cross it together." She said.  
Leading me, she stepped forward, instantly shoving the spikes down.  
I followed closely, directing her as we solved the puzzle together.  
On the other side, she turned to face me.  
"Puzzles seem a little too dangerous for now." She stated.  
My heart sank as she walked away.  
That was it?  
Earlier, she'd said she was proud of me, and that was for following blatant instructions.  
But for reasoning out a puzzle, even if I needed her help..?  
I'd felt like I'd been slapped across the face.  
Worse yet, there was no sense of accomplishment, nothing to signify that I'd achieved anything.  
I felt cheated.  
Worse yet, I was angry.  
I wanted to yell, to scream at her, but I stood still, and a stayed silent.  
And I felt my heart ache.  
I took a deep breath and followed Toriel through the entryway.  
"You have done excellently thus far, my child." She said. "However... I have a difficult request to ask of you."  
I had to hold in a scoff. Knowing her, 'difficult' meant walking across the long hallway ahead of us without holding her hand.  
She paused for a moment, then stated, "I would like you to walk to the end of the room by yourself." I blinked. "Forgive me for this."  
Then she tore down the hallway, I stood there, utterly startled.  
What?!  
I didn't see where she went, suddenly being... abandoned like that...  
I ran down the hallway after her. How could she?! I may not have liked being led around my the hand, but I didn't like being left alone. Not since the last time.  
I thought came to mind, one that terrified me.  
What if Flowey came back and attacked me, and she was nowhere to stop him?  
I tripped, my heart stopped for a moment as I flew through the air.  
I hit the ground, skinning not only my knee, but my injured cheek as well.  
I winced at the pain and reapplied the bandage.  
I rushed to the end of the hallway, past a large pillar, and toward the exit.  
Toriel appeared from behind the pillar, startling me.  
"Greetings, my child." She said, my heart raced, I felt betrayed that she'd do that, and not even comment on the fact that she'd left me like that. "Do not worry, I did not leave you."  
I blinked.  
 _'Really? Because it certainly looked that way!'_ I mentally snapped.  
"I was merely behind this pillar the whole time."  
I wanted nothing more than to shout at her, to make her regret leaving me like that...  
But I didn't. It would only serve to upset her, even though I was pretty upset myself.  
"Thank you for trusting me."  
I winced.  
I didn't.  
I didn't even try to trust her. The moment she'd gone out of my sight...  
I felt on the verge of tears.  
"However, there was an important reason for this exercise." She stated. "To test your independence."  
 _'And I did not show you my independence earlier..?'_ I thought with a mixture of bitterness and sorrow.  
"I must tend to some business, and you must stay alone for a while." She explained. "Please remain here. It's dangerous to explore by yourself."  
She looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. "I have an idea. I will give you a Cell Phone. If you have a need for anything, just call." She handed me the cell phone. It was an ancient model, something you'd only see in museums dedicated to the growth of the telephone.  
The fact that it was here at all, looking exactly like one I'd seen on a school trip, made me wonder exactly where and when she'd gotten it.  
"Be good, alright?" She asked before promptly leaving.  
I walked over to the pillar and sat behind it.  
I felt the weight of the cell phone in my hand, and I thought hard about what had led up to this moment.  
I thought back to this morning. He had decided we would go on a picnic, a fun outing, just the two of us.  
I'd been on picnics with him before, and they were usually good times.  
I'd packed plates and silverware, doing my best to be helpful while he made sandwiches and other picnic snacks.  
For the first time in a long time, I'd felt happy.  
My mom used to love picnics, used to love sitting on the blanket, reading stories and flying kites.  
It was the first time I'd been on one since...  
Since...  
I wrapped my arms around my knees and rocked back and forth.  
The phone rang, startling me. I answered it.  
"This is Toriel. My errands are taking longer than I thought they would. You must wait 5 more minutes. Thank you for being patient." She said before hanging up.  
I considered calling her, but...  
I shook my head.  
I resumed rocking back and forth, the motion calmed me, made me feel more secure.  
After all, it was the only motion I could make in the bathtub that wouldn't have woken Him.  
That's right... That's what caused him to be so angry. We'd arrived at Mt. Ebott, it was secluded, he'd brought me there in spite of the legends.  
I wondered briefly if he brought me there so we could disappear, or if he wanted me to disappear.  
The thought made me shudder.  
He'd pulled out the plates, after we'd joked around for so long.  
So long... I had forgotten what it was like to walk on eggshells.  
I'd spent hours cleaning them, trying to get rid of the stains.  
He'd screamed, and I'd ran.  
I'd ran so hard, I had actually managed to slip out of his sight.  
I lowered my head to my knees and cried.  
The phone ringing snapped me out of it, and I answered.  
"This is Toriel. I found what I was looking for. But before I could take it... A small, white puppy snatched it away. How odd. Do dogs even like flour? Err, that is an unrelated question, of course. It will take a little longer. Please understand."  
She hung up, by the brief statements, she sounded like she was in a hurry.  
I took a deep breath and sighed.  
I was glad she'd take a little longer, I didn't want her to see me crying.  
I kind of wished for the dummy again, it was nice, being able to tell something about my own troubles.  
No judgement, no expressions of pity, and no anger at _'being lied to'_.  
I only wished someone real could listen to what I said without any of that.  
The phone rang again, and I answered it.  
There was silence, then heavy panting, as if someone was running.  
I heard four loud barks, and in the distance, "Stop, please! Come back here with my Cell Phone!"  
The call ended, and I stared at the phone with confusion.  
Was that... some sort of joke?  
I didn't know what to think.  
I considered leaving, but... I was still shaken by the day's events. I needed more time to... solidify. To fortify myself.  
I hummed softly to myself, and after a few moments, I realized it was the lullaby Mom hummed to me.  
"Da, da, da, da, da-da, da..." I half-hummed absently, then I stopped.  
No, it was too sad.  
Mom only came up with that lullaby because she heard music in the same way I saw words.  
I remembered an earlier memory, Mom and Dad had been talking, but I didn't know how to read. It had been interesting, watching the colors as they spoke, and since then, since I'd learned to read, I could see the color of intent in written words, as though whomever wrote had left behind some of their heart so I could see the color of words.  
Books were a masterpiece, an artwork that was unappreciated even by those who read them.  
And though I loved to read, I spent more time looking at the vibrant pages.  
I wished I'd had a book with me.  
The phone rang again, and I answered it.  
There was light snoring, like a small white dog sleeping on the phone.  
I heard Toriel's voice in the distance.  
"Helloooo? Little puppy...? Where are you...? I will give you a nice pat on the head!"  
The snoring stopped.  
"...If you return my Cell phone."  
The snoring resumed, and the call ended.  
I wondered how the dog was calling me, then decided it ultimately didn't matter.  
If I ever saw that dog, I'd thank it for giving me time to think.  
Even if at the cost of Toriel's sanity.  
I felt a little bad for her, but it served her right for abandoning me like that earlier. Test of indepenence, my foot!  
Still, I felt she wanted the best for me, this entire time, she'd watched over me, she'd saved my life against a homicidal flower.  
That... sounded a little insane, now that I thought about it.  
Wow, I was a nervous wreck.  
I wondered how worse off I would be if I hadn't run off, if I'd taken His punishment.  
I also wondered at his expression as I'd fallen.  
Gone was the rage, it had been replaced with horror, horror at what he'd done to me.  
I wondered if he'd forgive himself, or forget me.  
It wouldn't be the first time.  
After all, he'd known some of the children who had gotten lost on Mt. Ebott...  
I froze.  
He knew some of the kids who had gotten lost.  
They'd disappeared, just like I did.  
I fell into the hole.  
Oh, God...  
Oh, God...  
What if he..? What if he'd planned it all from the beginning?  
I rocked back and forth, holding my head.  
No...  
He may have had a bad temper.  
But he wouldn't...  
He would never...  
Would he?  
The phone rang again, and I cried out in shock.  
Gasping hard, it rang again, and I answered it.  
I heard snoring, then a sneeze.  
"Here, pup-pup-puppy!" Toriel's voice called out in the distance. "Oh dear, I should not keep my guest waiting any longer. Oh no, how long has it been since I have talked to them...? Perhaps they have been calling the phone, and...? Here, puppy!"  
I couldn't help but laugh.  
I laughed until my sides hurt.  
Distracted by what would have become a meltdown, I felt sorry for Toriel. Next time it rang, I would try to get her attention toward her phone.  
I took some time to sit and relax and not think.  
I got up eventually and walked toward the exit.  
The phone rang, and I answered.  
I heard more snoring, then a yawn.  
In the distance, I heard Toriel call out tiredly.  
"Doggie... Here, Doggie... Oh, dear... I do wonder how they are..."  
I took a deep breath, then shouted, "Toriel!"  
I heard a surprised yip, followed by the clacking of claws against stone.  
"Oh!" Toriel's voice declared as the call ended.  
I laughed again.  
Myself, one point. Small, annoying dog, zero.

_  
Author's Note:Frisk is sarcastic.  
Who wouldn't be in that situation? Monsters, magic, and killer flowers.  
I wanted to portray their ability to project outward independence, as kids are wont to do around Frisk's age, but also to show that they're not as confident as they act, and that in their lonely moments... Well, you can see for yourself.  
You may have noted the rather unsympathetic light I show Toriel in. Goat Mom may be one of my favorite characters, but to Frisk, she's just another overbearing adult who knows best for them.  
As much as they need the company, Frisk is still a kid, and will have views appropriate to that.


	3. The Ruins: Forward Motion

I walked through the entrance way, and was immediately called.  
I answered.  
"Hello? Hello? This is Toriel. My apologies. A strange dog kidnapped my phone. So if you called, I could not have helped. However, I have recovered it. And you are still in that room, are you not? What a good child you are. There are a few puzzles ahead that I have yet to explain. Be good, alright?"  
And just like that, my good mood was ruined by what was clearly a rushed justification of her lateness.  
Without me even getting a word in edgewise, she had brought back some of my anxiety.  
Though, I really couldn't blame her. Chasing after a dog to get her phone back likely gave her some anxiety as well.  
Still, I was better off than I was earlier.  
I looked around, this corridor was as pink as all others, a frog sat to my left, next to an entryway. In front of me was a pile of leaves, and to my right was a passageway.  
The frog ribbited twice. (Excuse me, Human.)  
I was a little surprised to see words from two ribbits.  
(I have some advice for you about battling monsters.)  
It ribbited again.  
(If you Act a certain way, or Fight until you almost defeat them...) The two emphasized words were yellow, a peaceful color, (They might not want to battle you anymore.)  
It looked at me pleadingly. (If a monster does not want to fight, please... Use some Mercy, human.)  
I recognized the same frog from before, the one that Toriel had scared away.  
I nodded. "I will." I said.  
I gave it a hug, and it blushed slightly.  
(Thank you.)  
I looked at the leaves and walked over to them.  
Smiling, I ran through them, though it wasn't fall yet, playing in them filled me with determination.  
Despite the exertion, I felt better than ever, my skinned knee hurt less, and the cut on my cheek didn't sting as much.  
After finishing, I walked into the passageway next to the frog. Inside was a bowl on a pedetal. The sign on it said, 'Take one'.  
I thought of the frog outside, and took one for myself, and one for them.  
Then, I went out and said, "Would you like a candy?"  
It nodded and we shared the candy together.  
It had a very distinct non-licorice flavor, in spite of seeming like it did.  
I was a little disappointed, but candy was candy.  
I said bye to the frog, who ribbited a farewell, and went down the path, only to bump into a flying moth-like monster.  
My heart glowed warm as it faced me.  
"He..." I started, but it burst into tears and flew away. "...llo." I finished.  
I stood there for several moments, then continued down the corridor, turning left into another one.  
As I walked forward, I noted two vents to either side.  
As I stared, the ground beneath me gave way, and I landed on a soft pile of leaves.  
"Oh!" I sounded, the fall and landing having startled me.  
I got up and noted two doorways. I went to the one closer to the end of the corridor I was heading toward and found it was a vertical shaft upward.  
I climbed up and over, into the same corridor I'd been in, but the ground I'd fallen through was behind me now.  
I pressed on.  
My phone rang as I entered the next room.  
"Hello. This is Toriel." I smiled at her voice, in spite of my earlier annoyance at her not giving me a chance to talk. "For no reason in particular... Which do you prefer? Cinnamon, or butterscotch?"  
She paused, and I felt glad she was actually giving me a chance to talk.  
"I prefer cinnamon." I replied.  
"Oh! I see... Thank you very much." She said before hanging up.  
I took a few steps forward, and received a call.  
"Hello, this is Toriel." I heard.  
What now?  
"You do not _dislike_ Butterscotch, do you? I know what your preference is, but... Would you turn up your nose if you found it on your plate?"  
I thought for a moment.  
"Normally, I hate it." I admitted. "But, if it were mixed with something else..."  
"Right, right. I understand." She said. "Thank you for being patient, by the way."  
There was a click, and the call ended.  
Flour, plus butterscotch and cinnamon?  
Oh, yes. She was making cookies.  
I just knew it.  
I looked around the room. There was a rock, a switch, and a sign.  
I walked up to the sign and read it.  
'Three out of four grey rocks recommend you push them.'  
For a moment, I imagined four rocks wearing doctor outfits, and three of them shouting, 'Push me!'  
I chuckled, then walked over to the rock and pushed it onto the switch.  
It moved easily, almost as if it had been greased.  
That would have been a sight.  
Ahead, a row of spikes retracted, and I continued on.  
The next room was large, most of the floor was violently unsteady.  
Poking at it with the stick didn't reveal if it was going to be breakable, so I took a step on the floor.  
It held, so I moved forward carefully, edging around near the wall.  
My foot went through, and I fell into some leaves below.  
I immediately noticed a path was made through the leaves, a sign on the wall nearby asked me not to step on the leaves.  
I stood there for a moment, then nodded.  
Yet another clever puzzle.  
I walked away from the sign, toward an opening that looked like another upward shaft, but was stopped by a...  
Shaped jello.  
It blocked my way, wiggling and jiggling in front of me.  
I stepped to the side, and it sloshed right past me, leaving behind two coins of what looked to be gold.  
I picked them up.  
"Er... You dropped this." I said.  
It... turned, somehow, and jiggled, then turned again and went away.  
I blinked, then continued on my way.  
I climbed up the shaft to the top, then followed my mental map through the unstable floor.  
Ahead was a small leaf pile, above it was a sign.  
I approached and read it.  
 _'Didn't you read the sign downstairs?'_  
I chuckled.  
That was clever.  
I continued on my way and came to more stable flooring.  
The next room had three rocks, a canal, and more spikes.  
A frog and a moth monster were chatting.  
I pulled out my phone to ask Toriel what they were called, and noted that my phone seemed to identify them for me.  
The frog was called Froggit, and the moth was called Whimsun.  
That was good to note.  
They noticed me and approached.  
I waved my hand, and the Whimsun flew away, clearly terrified.  
The Froggit ribbited, and white flies flew at me.  
I ducked under the barrage, suddenly confused and terrified.  
Had I found a monster who would harm me?!  
I held my hands out. "Please, don't hurt me. I didn't mean to scare your friend away."  
In answer, it lunged at me, and I ducked away.  
I was running out of options, then I noticed my phone was acting unusually.  
It has three words on it.  
 _'Check, Compliment, Threaten.'_  
I realized these were suggestions on how to get it to stop attacking me.  
"Your eyes are very lovely." I stated.  
It blushed deeply, the flies it sent flew right past me.  
It seemed reluctant to fight, and I hugged it.  
It hopped away, over the spikes, and into the next room.  
I noted it had left behind two gold coins.  
I took them and pocketed them.  
I walked over to a rock and pushed it onto a switch, then I did the same for the next.  
On the third, I gave a heavy shove.  
" _Whoa_ there, pardner!" It cried out, I fell back. "Who said you could push me around?"  
"Oh! I'm sorry." I said. "Err... Could you please move?"  
" _Hmm_? You're askin' me to move over? Okay, just for you, pumpkin."  
While I didn't like being called 'pumpkin', it moved over slightly.  
"Er... Could you please move some more?" I asked.  
" _Hmm_? You want me to move some more?" It repeated.  
"Yes." I replied.  
"Alrighty. How's this?" It moved toward the far wall, but not toward the switch.  
"Er... That was the wrong way." I said.  
" _Hmm_? That was the wrong direction? Okay, think I got it."  
It moved straight to the switch.  
"Thank you." I said, walking toward the spikes.  
Just as I was about to step over the bridge, they shot up.  
I reeled and fell on my back.  
I looked back at the rock, which was off the switch.  
"Could you please stay there?" I asked.  
" _Hmm_? You're _askin'_ me to stay there? You're givin' me a real workout!"  
It slid back onto the switch, and I hurried over the bridge.  
"Thank you!" I called back to it.  
"No problem, pardner!" It called back to me. "I rather like it right here."  
I waved it goodbye and went on my way.  
The next hallway was straightforward. A table with cheese on top of it, and a mousehole nearby, were the only points of interest in the room.  
I went to the cheese and tried to pick it up, but it was stuck fast to the table.  
I leaned against the wall and looked at the mouse hole.  
I gave a short laugh.  
This was the perfect metaphor for my life.  
I was the mouse, and the cheese... Well, I guess it was going back to the surface, or going back to Mom. Or maybe...  
Or maybe it was just something I wanted.  
But, knowing that one day, the mouse might get some of the cheese...  
It filled me with determination.  
Actually, I had an idea.  
I walked over to the mouse hole.  
"Excuse me, mister or miss mouse..."  
I heard a squeak in response.  
"If you would like, I could take you to the cheese."  
The mouse poked its head out, looked at the cheese, and shook its head before going back in.  
I smiled.  
I guess, like me, it would have to do it by itself.  
All alone, with only itself to rely on.  
It was a sad thought.  
"I hope you get the cheese." I said before continuing on.  
Somehow, I felt less hurt than before.  
I got up, brushed myself off, and continued onward.  
Directly in front of me was what looked like a bedsheet ghost.  
I walked toward it.  
"zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..."  
"zzzzzzzzzzzzzz..."  
"zzzzzzzzzz..."  
(are they gone yet) The words appeared in front of me.  
"zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..."  
It was just laying there, pretending to sleep by saying Z out loud.  
I tried to move it to the side so I could pass, because it obviously wanted to be left alone, and this was the least obtrusive way past.  
My heart glowed warm as it lifted itself up.  
I looked at my phone.  
 _'Here comes Napstablook.'_ It read. _'This monster doesn't seem to have a sense of humor...'_  
"oh, i'm _real_ funny." The ghost, Napstablook, said before crying.  
One of its tears hit me, and I felt a painful jolt at it.  
I winced, grasping where it struck.  
Even though its tears could hurt, I could tell it was in a sad mood.  
Mostly, because I was just there not too long ago.  
I gave him a patient smile.  
"heh..." He moaned.  
In big, bold letters, several words appeared before me. _**'REALLY NOT FEELIN UP TO IT RIGHT NOW. SORRY.'**_  
He looked a bit better, though, so I kept it up.  
"What sort of glasses do ghosts wear?" I asked.  
"i dunno." He replied.  
"Spooktacles." I replied.  
"heh heh..." He chuckled.  
Though he looked happier, he was still crying, though it was easier to avoid the tears.  
"hey, do you want to see something?" He asked.  
I nodded.  
"let me try..." He began to cry harder, the tears floated upward, forming a top hat. "i call it 'dapperblook'. do you like it..?"  
He waited eagerly.  
"That is the best thing ever." I replied honestly.  
"oh, gee..." My heart stopped glowing as he continued. "i usually come to the ruins because there's nobody around... but today i met somebody nice..." He paused for a moment. "oh, i'm rambling again. i'll get out of your way."  
And just like that, he vanished.  
I went to the path ahead of me, inside was a sign, and some spider webs.  
I read the sign.  
 _'Spider Bake Sake. All proceeds go to real spiders.'_  
I blinked.  
What?  
I walked over to a web, a sticker read, 'Leave 7 G in the web?'  
I blinked, and realized I only had four coins.  
I sighed and left. Maybe if I wandered around a bit, I'd run into a Froggit or one of those Jello monsters.  
I went back, then took the path to my right.  
The first thing I saw, beside the three Froggits, was a sign.  
 _'Did you miss it? Spider Bakesale down and to the right. Come eat food made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders!'_  
I froze.  
 _What.  
_ Not having enough money to buy something was incentive enough to not buy anything.  
But the cookies themselves having spiders inside them?!  
Clearly, I'd fallen down the rabbit hole into Alice's Wonderland.  
That... was actually a rather apt analogy.  
I walked over to the Froggit near the sign.  
It ribbited twice, then sighed.  
(My friend never listens to me. Whenever I talk, they skip through my words by pressing [X]. That's right... Pressing [X].)  
It paused.  
(Well, at least you listen to me.)  
I wasn't sure how to process this information.  
I looked at my phone. The closest I could guess was the number nine on it, which coincided with X.  
I walked over to the second frog. All it had to say was something about 'F4' and a 'full screen'.  
(But what does 'F4' stand for? Four frogs? I have only seen a maximum of three frogs in this room. This is troubling, to say the least.)  
 _'You and me both, buddy.'_ I thought wryly.  
I felt like I was out of the loop on some sort of Underground in-joke.  
Dreading what the third would say, I walked toward it.  
(I have heard you are quite merciful, for a human... Surely you know by now a monster wears a Yellow name when you can Spare it.)  
I blinked. "I didn't actually." I said. "How would I know this?"  
It eyed my phone, and I looked at it.  
It showed Froggit on the screen, in the corner was a capital F, but crossed out.  
(That means we are not in a Fight. For Monsters, a Fight is trivial, merely an expression of magic from one to the other. But for a human such as yourself, they can be harmful. That you have come this far without haring anyone is a testament to your strong will.) It ribbited.  
I blushed. "Thank you." I said.  
My heart suddenly glowed warm, the F was suddenly not crossed out.  
(A Fight begins with intent to fight, and cannot be ended unless both parties agree to end it.)  
Froggit's name, or rather, species, was colored yellow.  
"And so, to end a fight, to spare a monster, I need to not want to fight?" I asked.  
It nodded.  
(What do you think of that?)  
I smiled. "Honestly, that is the most sane explanation I've received today." I replied.  
It gave a ribbit.  
(It is rather helpful.) It mused. (Remember, sparing is just saying you won't fight. Maybe one day, you'll have to do it even if their name isn't yellow.)  
"Thank you." I said.  
I continued on my way, only to receive a call from Toriel.  
"Hello." She said. "I just realized that it has been a while since I have cleaned up. I was not expecting company so soon."  
 _'You were expecting company?'_ I thought wryly.  
"There are probably a lot of things lying about here and there. You can pick them up, but do not carry more than you need." She explained. "Someday, you might see something you really like. You will want to leave room in your pockets for that."  
The call ended.  
 _'Thank you, O, wondrous Tutoriel.'_ I thought.  
I cracked up and couldn't stop laughing for several minutes.  
The Froggits all stared at me as if I'd gone crazy.  
Maybe I had.  
After all, I was underneath Mt. Ebott, certainly miles away from Ebott City, being attacked by monsters sealed away so long ago that they were delegated to myths, legends, and bedtime stories, and the only thing keeping me from breaking down was my own determination.  
And even that was probably iffy at best.  
Was I crazy?  
If I wasn't, it was probably around time to be bringing out the straitjacket.  
I paced for a few moments, considering whether or not I was crazy.  
I decided to call Toriel.  
She answered almost immediately.  
"This is Toriel." I heard.  
"Uh... Hi." I said.  
"You only wanted to say hello...? Well then. Hello! I hope that suffices. Hee hee."  
She ended the call.  
Okaaaay. She was obviously not one for talking.  
I called her again.  
"This is Toriel."  
"Uh..." I didn't know what to say. "Hi..?"  
"You want to say hello again? Salutations! Is that enough?"  
"Er... Yeah." I replied, ending the call right there. My face burned from embarassment.  
Though, from the way she sounded, she seemed to be... well, she seemed to be having fun.  
I called her again.  
"This is Toriel." She answered.  
"Hello!" I declared, trying to make a fun time of it.  
"Are you bored?" She asked. "I should have given a book to you. My apologies. Why not use your imagination to divert yourself? Pretend you are... A monarch! Rule over the leaf pile with a fist of iron. Can you do that for me?"  
Utterly shut down, I meekly stated, "Yes."  
She ended the call.  
I stared at the phone.  
I wasn't sure if there was something wrong with her, or if there was something wrong with me.  
I mean, I tried to actually make something meaningful out of all of this, but...  
She just treated me like a child.  
I mean, I was a child, but still, there was no need to completely ignore me.  
Maybe... Maybe I needed to know more about her?  
I called her again.  
"This is Toriel." She answered.  
"I... would like to know more about you." I said.  
"You want to know more about me? Well, I am afraid there is not much to say. I am just a silly little lady who worries too much!" She hung up.  
Yeah. Because I didn't know that already.  
I just gave up.  
There was no talking to her, not without her completely shutting down any attempt I made at a conversation.  
Just like everyone else, just like Mom, just like Dad, just like... Him.  
Didn't she realize what she was doing? I liked her well enough, and she was probably one of the more reasonable people I'd met, but...  
Why did she have to be such an adult?  
I put the phone in my pocket, walked over to a corner, and sat down.  
In all of this, I just wanted someone to talk to, someone who wouldn't blow me off the first chance they got.  
Was that too hard to ask?  
I noticed absently that I was rocking back and forth again, the Froggits, I noticed, were doing something similar, likely not out of any want to insult or make fun of me.  
As ever, it comforted me, made it easier to cope with the insane world around me.  
I still remembered the first time someone found me like this during school.  
Ebott Middle School, as imaginative a name as Ebott City, it was during one of my classes, an art class, I think, and someone had cut themselves.  
I... don't like blood.  
I had to leave, and tried to comfort myself, but someone came in.  
Their words were red.  
 _Their words were red._  
And... I don't remember much of what happened afterward, except my hand hurt, and I was in the principals office.  
Mom had been so disappointed in me.  
I took a deep breath and stood up.  
Sitting down right now wasn't going to make things much better than they already were. I was feeling better, but that would change soon enough.  
I just... needed to talk to Toriel face to face, let her know that I wasn't going to sit meekly and let her ignore me.  
 _'There is only one switch.'_ It read.  
I sighed.  
Here goes nothing.  
I walked forward, and came face to face with a horned monster with a large eyeball.  
My phone indicated it was a Loox.  
I decided not to pick on it, as opposed to picking on it, as indicated by the phone.  
"Finally, someone gets it." The Loox said.  
Several white spheres appeared around it, and bounced around erratically before fading.  
"I don't want to fight." I said.  
It looked down, then back up, walked toward me, and gave me five gold coins before walking off.  
I took a deep breath and walked to the closest weak spot in the floor.  
I fell down, and saw nothing except a large carrot.  
I poked it with my stick, and it popped out of the ground.  
It was a Vegetoid!  
My stomach growled, and I hoped that it didn't take that as a sign of me wanting to eat it.  
"Eat your greens." It rasped before several vegetables appeared, bouncing everywhere.  
The absurdity of the situation was not lost on me, but I did notice some vegetables were indeed completely green.  
I reached out and grabbed it, it didn't try to kill me, and I ate it.  
I felt much better.  
Vegetoid grinned, his name was yellow on my phone.  
"Thank you." I said.  
It cackled before burrowing away.  
Four gold coins popped out of the hole before the hole closed itself.  
I wondered briefly why they left me money. Did I look that poor?  
Maybe I did.  
I climbed up out of the hole through a convenient vent, then went to the one 'below' it.  
I fell in, and was greeted to the sight of a red faded ribbon. I picked it up. Ribbons weren't my style, but... I put it in my pocket, maybe it would come in handy.  
Climbing out of the hole, I looked around and went for the one near the first hole.  
I fell in, and the switch was there. I pulled it down, and climbed back up.  
I bee-lined for the exit, where spikes had once been, _naturally._  
As I neared them, a Jello and a... roach monster appeared almost from thin air.  
Moldsmal, the Jello, and Migosp. Moldsmal, I noted, could be spared immediately.  
That was good to know.  
"HEED THE SWARM." Migosp declared, and not only did bugs surround me, but balls of slime shot from everywhere.  
I stood still, and wasn't hit.  
When they faded, I said, "I don't want to fight you."  
Moldsmal jiggled and went away. Migosp chuckled and did a dance. "Nothin' like alone time!" He declared before handing me three gold coins and dancing away.  
I just took it in stride. There was no reason to question anything anymore.  
Heck, I might as well give up on logic right now.  
I rejected reality and substituted it with my own.  
But that failed. Logic still held its firm grasp on my brain.  
I went to the next room, which was in an L-shape. A sign directly next to me read, _'The far door is not an exit. It simply marks a rotation in perspective.'_  
Okay then.  
I proceeded to the exit, the spikes, it seemed, had been taken down already. I walked through and found another L-shaped room. I walked to the end.  
Lo and behold, spikes.  
A sign nearby read, _'If you can read this, press the blue switch.'_  
It was trivial finding the blue switch.  
I pressed it, and continued on.  
Another L-shape. This time, the sign told me to press the red switch.  
I did.  
A Moldsmal and a Migosp came in.  
All I had to do was spare them twice.  
They gave me three gold.  
I continued on.  
Another L-shape, and this time pressing the green switch.  
I found it, pressed it, and went on my way.  
Thankfully, it wasn't another L-shape room.  
Though it was a little clever, being a rotated copy of each room, there was really no point to all of it.  
The only challenge it would be to anyone would be anyone who could only look at each room from one perspective.  
I walked forward, ignoring the black, barren tree to my left.  
I came across a Froggit.  
(Just between you and me... I saw Toriel come out of here just a little while ago.) I wondered briefly why her name was blue, perhaps he was afraid of her? (She was carrying some groceries... I didn't ask what they were for... We're all too intimidated to talk to her.)  
Well, that answered that.  
I walked through the doorway beside the Froggit, and was greeted with the sight of a vast city.  
It seemed to stretch on for miles.  
This... This was the Underground, and yet it seemed so...  
(We call it Home.) The Froggit ribbited. (Our King is not so good with names, though.)  
I nodded. "It's... a lot bigger than I expected." I said.  
(It once housed the entirety of the monster population. It's mostly empty now, since most people moved out of the Ruins.)  
"Why'd they do that?" I wondered.  
(It got too crowded.)  
I looked out at the vast city before me.  
This was too crowded?  
I felt a stone of dread in my gut.  
I had to potentially face all of this...  
And they had a king?  
I was barely keeping it together as I was.  
As the Froggit hopped away, I leaned against the railing.  
This, right now, was my reality.  
Monsters, magic... It was all very surreal, but I had to adapt, I had to overcome this.  
Especially if I wanted to see the surface again.  
Couldn't I?  
Would I ever see the sky again, unfiltered through holes in the ceiling?  
I looked to my right, at the part of the city that looked most hewn from the rock, toward the center where it looked like it had been built, toward the left, where it looked hewn...  
What was that on the ground?  
I came closer to it.  
Oh, God...  
 _Oh, God..._  
It was a knife.  
My heart seized, I froze, a low moan came out of me.  
There was a flash of red in my mind, blood, blood everywhere...  
I ran.  
I ran out of that area, the Froggit jumped out of the way, startled as I charged past him.  
The food that the Vegetoid gave me threatened to come up.  
I coughed.  
Who would be so... so... _Irresponsible_ to leave a _**knife**_ lying around?!  
I walked away from that area, toward the black tree, and leaned against it.  
I couldn't do this.  
I felt a hand against my shoulder and looked up.  
It was Toriel.  
"How did you get here, my child?" She asked. She looked worried, even more so now than before. Her eyes widened when she looked at my face. "Are you hurt?"  
She took my hands, I felt like a reed swaying in the breeze.  
"There, there, I will heal you."  
A green aura surrounded her, then it moved from her and surrounded me.  
I felt more stable, better than I had in a long time.  
Every sore bump and scrape I had was gone.  
"I should not have left you alone for so long." She said.  
"You think?" I asked dryly.  
She looked surprised at my attitude, and I realized I was being unfair to her.  
"I'm sorry..." I said.  
"It's quite alright." She said. "It was irresponsible to try to surprise you like this."  
She froze for a moment. "Err..." She gave an embarrassed grin. "Well, I suppose I cannot hide it any longer. Come, small one!"  
I followed her beyond the black tree, when I saw the cute, tidy house, I was filled with determination.  
I walked into the house.  
The beige tones of the house caught me off guard. After being surrounded by dark pink and light purple for so long, everything looked green initially. But that soon faded.  
"Do you smell that? Surprise!" She declared. "It is a butterscotch-cinnamon pie. I thought we might celebrate your arrival. I want you to have a nice time living here. So I will hold off on snail pie for tonight."  
The sudden intake of information was too much for me to handle at the moment.  
Living here? Snail pie? What?!  
"Here, I have another surprise for you." She immediately went off to the hallway to the right.  
I followed after. "This is it..." She took my left hand and led me to a door not five meters away. "A room of your own. I hope you like it!"  
She then rubbed the top of my head, even as I stood there, flabbergasted at what she was saying.  
"Is something burning..?" She asked. "Um, make yourself at home!"  
She then tore off to prevent the place from burning down.  
Without much thought, I went into the room.  
There was a bin full of cool toys that, ultimately, didn't interest me at all. An empty, dusty photo frame sat on a desk. A large collection of kids' shoes of various sizes sat beside the dresser the frame sat upon.  
Finally, a lamp was the only really interesting thing beside a wardrobe beside the bed.  
Exhausted, I shut off the lamp and crawled into bed.  
I lay under the comforter, utterly exhausted and worn out from the trek that I'd taken just to get this far.  
The thought of sleeping, even in a strange, cold bed, filled me with determination...

_  
Author's Note:  
Frisk is safe! For now.  
That bit at the end, with the knife. I'm going to straight out tell you that this is a LOAD of foreshadowing. I can say this because you can only guess as to how it will play into the story.  
Also, Napstablook. He's probably one of my favorite characters in the game. You've likely noticed by now that on occasion, the dialogue goes off the rails a bit. So far, it's been small bits of dialogue that adds now dialogue not seen in the game.I'll tell you this now, this isn't going to be a mere word-for-word retelling of the game's events with some first person perspective thrown in. I'll be expanding on the dialogue more as the story goes along.  
From this point, it's off the rails, but still following the same story we know and love.


	4. The Ruins: Patience

A gentle nudge woke me, I opened my eyes to see my mother.  
 _"Honey, it's time to get up."_ She said.  
To every kid, their mom is the most beautiful person in the world.  
I sat up and rubbed my eyes.  
Mornings were the best times to talk to her. It wasn't busy yet, she wasn't stressed out about her job, and it was the only time in the day where she was smiling just to smile.  
I loved her as hard as a kid like me could, and I gave her a big hug.  
She hugged me back, and the pressure of it, with the scent of her lemon perfume, filled me with determination.  
 _"What kind of glasses do ghosts wear?"_ I asked her.  
She looked thoughtful. _"I don't know. What do they wear?"_  
 _"Spooktacles!"_  
We both howled with laughter.  
That's one of the reasons I loved my mom. No matter how terrible the joke was, no matter how much it hurt to hear it, she always found them genuinely funny.  
I didn't think I'd find someone quite like that. Not anywhere else, at least.  
We'd always pick out my clothes for the day together, my mother was, after all, and in her own words, 'an incredible fashionista'.  
We'd always laugh at that, because she'd strike a model's pose.  
So dramatic!  
We'd make a game of it, pretending to be models, making a catwalk out of the section of the floor surrounded by jump ropes.  
 _"I love you, sweetie."_ She said before sending me off to school...

I woke up crying.  
I sat up, clutching my shirt over where my heart was. In the darkness, I felt it glow warm, its light soothed me, filling me with determination.  
After wiping my eyes dry, I got out of bed. I saw a piece of pie on the floor and picked it up.  
I wasn't hungry right now, maybe I'd eat it later.  
I left my room and looked around.  
To the left of me were two doors, down the hall, and a mirror.  
I entered the one immediately to my left.  
The walls were a calm blue color. To my immediate left, a desk with an open book. Just beyond it, one of the biggest beds I'd ever laid eyes on.  
It looked extremely comfortable.  
Directly in front of me, a bookshelf. The yellow flowers on top gave me a start, my heart racing as I thought Flowey had come back to torment me. Thankfully, they were just flowers. To the right of the bookshelf was a squat dresser.  
Alone, in a corner, was a cactus. Truly the most tsundere of plants.  
This thought made me laugh, I quickly stifled it, I was sure this was Toriel's room, and I didn't want to be caught snooping.  
I noticed that next to the desk beside me was a bucket, as normal as a bucket could be.  
It was filled with snails.  
My gut lurched, the thought of snail pie, of all things, made me gag.  
I ignored them.  
I looked at the book, it was a journal.  
Well-worn, it looked like it had been gone through a lot. There was a passage in it that was circled in red.  
'Why did the skeleton want a friend?' It read. 'Because she was feeling bonely..."  
I stared at that page. Puns.  
So many puns.  
All of them equally terrible.  
I couldn't help but laugh.  
Maybe that was her favorite joke? Maybe she was just collecting them?  
I could only guess.  
I went over to the bookshelf, some of the books were joke books, some of them were journals and diaries. Others were well-worn textbooks, encyclopedias.  
I took one out, an encyclopedia on subterranean plants, and opened to a random page.  
'Typha - A group of wetland flowering plants with brown, oblong seedpods. Known more commonly as water sausages.'  
Thus armed with this new information, I ventured off into the world of typhas, fighting evil water sausages and other evil plants. All to save Princess Cactus, who couldn't decide whether or not she liked me or not.  
Wait.  
No.  
This was incredibly silly.  
I put the book back, and went over to the dresser. I peeked inside.  
It was all the same thing, purple robes with a symbol on the front. The same thing that Toriel wore. The drawer beneath this one had socks inside, all neatly folded.  
There weren't even that many pairs, yet the whole drawer was dedicated to them.  
I wondered, briefly, if monsters even wore socks.  
I left the room and continued down the hall.  
I passed by a door.  
'Room under renovations.' A sign on it read.  
I opened the door, the room beyond was bare and a bit dusty.  
It would make a nice freak-out room if I needed one.  
I left the room alone. and walked over to the mirror.  
Mouth a thin line, eyes half-lidded from exhaustion, I looked terrible.  
The grimy bandage on my cheek probably wasn't good for me, so I took it off. I noted that the cut on my cheek was gone, only a faint pink line betrayed that I'd been cut at all.  
I probably needed a hug, though I doubted just giving one would help.  
Someone would have to offer that hug, I was sure.  
But in spite of it all, regardless of the long journey to get this far, it was me.  
I gave a faint smile at myself, but the dead gaze and haggard hair made me look disturbing. As though I were looking at a complete stranger.  
My smile fell, and I looked away.  
Oh!  
There were water sausages in the vase beside me.  
I smirked.  
I walked back down the hallway, I felt a bit at ease now, maybe Toriel had a shower or something?  
The hallway seemed long as I walked through it, through the main room, which had a staircase leading downward, and into a nice, cozy room.  
A dining table with three chairs sat right in front of me, two large, one small. A vase with dead flowers sat on top of it. To my right, fireplace tools, a bookshelf, a fire place right next to the bookshelf, and in a giant, floofy armchair was an equally floofy Toriel.  
"Up already, I see?" Toriel asked, looking up from her book. "Um, I want you to know how glad I am to have someone here."  
I nodded. I didn't exactly have a plan for what to say to her. Hi, stop ignoring me and let me talk?  
Not exactly a good way to start a conversation.  
Granted, I wasn't much good at conversations anyway.  
"There are so many old books I want to share. I want to show you my favorite bug-hunting spot. I've also prepared a curriculum for your education." She stated.  
"A curriculum for..?"  
"This may come as a surprise to you..." She interrupted. "But I have always wanted to be a teacher."  
"That's not very surprising, considering all you do is point out the most obvious things." I snapped.  
She visibly winced.  
 _'Great start.'_ I thought bitterly.  
"Still." She stressed, ignoring my outburst. "I am glad to have you living here."  
She was silent for a moment. "Oh? Did you want something? What is it?"  
Finally. She was asking me what I wanted to say, yet... I didn't really have much to say.  
It was always like this, when I came close to telling someone how I felt, my thoughts, I always choked up.  
And when I lost my temper, I just snapped, and spoke without any heed to their feelings.  
Try as I might, as much as I knew she wanted what was best for me, I couldn't take this.  
As inviting as everything was, I couldn't take it anymore.  
"When can I go home?" I asked.  
"What?" She asked, shocked. "This... This _is_ your home now." She said. "Um... Would you like to hear about this book I'm reading? It's called _'72 uses for snails'._ How about it?"  
The world spun around me, my heart thundered. Again, and again, it was the same thing over and over and over and over again.  
Everything suddenly felt so small, so... _claustrophobic._  
"My child, are you well..?" She started.  
"I am not your child!" I shouted. "Every time I've tried to tell you anything, you just ignored what I had to say, you left me alone for over an hour, focused more on getting your stupid phone back from a dog who took it from you than actually worrying about me, or making sure I was okay. You left me. You _abandoned_ me! Do you really think that treating me like a _child_ will make me happy, will make me want to _stay_?! I fell down a large hole, I was almost killed by a murderous _flower_ , and now I have to deal with a rude, overbearing old **_goat_**! I can't take this anymore, just tell me how I can go back home, _please_!"  
She was silent for several minutes, I was breathing hard, my face burned red, as red as my words had been, and I felt tears in my eyes.  
"...I have to do something. Stay here." She closed the book with a snap and set it aside, stood up, and left.  
I stared after her, unbelieving.  
I laid out my heart to her, I bared my soul...  
And she completely set me aside.  
My anger burned and I followed after her.  
I caught a glimpse of white fur down the stairs and tore after her.  
A hallways of dark purple greeted me, Toriel stood just ahead of me. I walked over to her.  
"You wish to know how to return _'home'_ , do you not?" She asked in an even tone.  
"Yes. I do." I said.  
"Ahead of us lies the end of the Ruins. A one-way exit to the rest of the underground."  
Was this it? After all this time, all I had to do was yell at her like that?  
I felt a little bad about it, but at the same time, I could go home, I could...  
 _"I am going to destroy it."  
_ What.  
 _What..?_  
 ** _What?!_**  
"No one will ever be able to leave again. Now be a good child and go upstairs."  
She walked briskly forward.  
I stood there, my heart sinking further and further.  
No.  
This wasn't how it was supposed to be. I couldn't remain trapped here. I was going to do it.  
I chased after her, she stopped at my approach. She sighed, and said, "Every human that falls down here meets the same fate. I have seen it again and again. They come. They leave. They die."  
Her words struck me. They... _die_?  
"You naive child... If you leave the Ruins... They... Asgore... Will kill you."  
She spoke that name with such anger, they shone a brighter red than I'd ever seen.  
"I am only protecting you. Do you understand?"  
I opened my mouth to reply that, yes, I understood. Knowing this, I wouldn't mind staying.  
"...Go to your room."  
Those four words stripped me of any choice I had in the matter.  
My mouth agape, I stared as she moved onward.  
If I stayed, this is what I would come to expect. An overbearing goat mom. I felt angry again and I walked forward.  
At a bend in the corridor, she said, "Do not try to stop me. This is your final warning."  
She kept going, and I followed right after her.  
"You want to leave so badly?" She asked. "Hmph. You are just like the others."  
Others? What others..?  
I recalled the shoes in the room.  
My gut lurched.  
"There is only one solution to this." I saw her tense. "Prove yourself... Prove to me you are strong enough to survive."  
She turned around, her steely gaze penetrated me as my heart glowed warm.  
My phone suggested I talk, but... Now, of all moments, I couldn't think of anything.  
Fire erupted around us, a ball of flame struck me, it hurt worse than anything I'd felt before.  
It hurt my very soul.  
I dodged the fireballs, only to run headlong into one.  
I cried out, but she stared straight through me.  
I stood up, shakily.  
"Please... I don't want to fight..." I begged.  
She didn't respond.  
With a flick of her wrist, two lines of fire flew toward me, crossing each other over and over again.  
I backed away, pressed against the invisible barrier that boxed me in.  
Fire swarmed around me, burning hot.  
I screamed out, and her stony facade broke. She raised her hands to her mouth.  
And my heart broke...

It was dark.  
It was dark and cold.  
Was this..?  
Was this death? Was this what being dead was like?  
 _"You cannot give up..."_ A deep voice spoke.  
 _"Chara! Stay Determined..."_  
I blinked.  
I was standing in front of a dead tree.  
I looked around.  
Dark pink, or light purple, I couldn't tell which, but I...  
I recognized this place.  
I fell on my back, looking everywhere, taking in every detail.  
I pinched myself, I bit my hand.  
Pain.  
I...  
I was alive.  
 _I was alive._  
But how?!  
Toriel... She'd burned me to death, even though she hadn't meant to.  
Those eyes...  
Those eyes were the same as His, when I had fallen. _  
_I put my back against the tree and slid down to the ground.  
What was going on? How was I out here?  
Had all of that really happened? Did I have some sort of utter meltdown?  
The door...  
I rushed inside.  
"Do you smell that? Surprise!" Toriel declared. "It is a butterscotch-cinnamon pie. I thought we might celebrate your arrival. I want you to have a nice time living here. So I will hold off on snail pie for tonight."  
I blinked.  
What..? This had already happened...  
"Here, I have another surprise for you." She said, heading off to the right-hand hallway.  
I absently followed after her.  
I followed after. "This is it..." She grasped my hand and led me to the door. "A room of your own. I hope you like it!"  
She then rubbed the top of my head.  
"Is something burning..?" She asked. "Um, make yourself at home!"  
She rushed off, and I stood there.  
This had happened...  
This all had happened...  
It was just exhuastion. It had to be.  
I went into the room, laid down on the bed, and slept...

I dreamed of burning to death, how painful it was, but it wasn't the pain of fire, so much as it was the pain of the magic itself.  
I'd been burned before, and that was completely different. That was a white-hot outer pain.  
But this... This was an attack directly against the soul.  
And somehow... I managed to survive.

I opened my eyes and saw the pie on the floor. It was dark, Toriel had likely shut the light off for me.  
I sat up and rocked back and forth.  
The motion calmed me, helped sooth my rattled nerves.  
I'd died.  
Nobody was supposed to be able to come back from that, nobody.  
Yet, somehow I'd managed to.  
I was alive.  
I left my room after several minutes and went to Toriel.  
She gave me the same spiel about me living here and how she wanted to be a teacher.  
"How did they die?" I asked.  
"Eh? What?" She asked.  
"The others. _How did they die?_ " I asked.  
She stared at me for several moments. "Um... Would you like to hear about this..?"  
"I don't care about snails." I said. "I don't like them. Please, for once in your life, can you answer a simple question without ignoring everything I'm saying? _Please?_ "  
Her mouth opened and closed a few times. She looked at the book and stammered, "D-did you know..?"  
I put my hand on the page.  
"Toriel. I need to know why and how."  
Our eyes met, hers widened slightly, then she sighed.  
"Who told you, and how do you know?" She asked.  
"Somehow... You told me, in the basement." I said.  
"I don't recall..." She started.  
"I do. Because that's where you killed me." I replied.  
She blinked. "D-don't be absurd! I would _never_ kill you!"  
"They were two lines of fire, crossing each other. My back was against the wall, _and they burned me to death._ " I said. My voice shook at the memory of it. "You were going to destroy the way out of the Ruins because I wanted to leave, and you told me Asgore would kill me if I did."  
She shot up. "I have to do something."  
I grabbed her hand. "I'm not staying here while you go off and try to destroy the door!" I shouted. "Please! Don't treat me like a little child!"  
She pulled herself out of my grasp, and I gave chase.  
And everything was the same.  
 _Everything was the same.  
_ "There is only one solution to this." She said. "Prove yourself... Prove to me you are strong enough to survive."  
She turned around, her steely gaze penetrated me as my heart glowed warm.  
I recalled the words of a Froggit. Either Act, or Fight until they were weakened.  
She wanted to know if I could survive out there.  
I still had my stick, so I held it out.  
I took a deep breath, the fact that this stick had saved my life before filled me with determination.  
I charged forward and swung, hitting Toriel in the side.  
I saw her wince slightly.  
Fire flew around me, and I moved between them as best I could.  
When they faded, I struck again.  
A large hand appeared, casting a line of fire at me.  
I jumped out of the way, but was struck my one at the edge.  
I cried out, but got up again.  
Her name still wasn't yellow.  
I struck again, I noted the phone tracked how strong she was.  
I kept this up, striking and dodging.  
I was hit two other times, but I felt I was close.  
As much damage as the stick seemed to do, it was nowhere near enough to kill her.  
I took a deep breath and swung.  
Where I struck, the stick tore her robe, she cried out in pain.  
"Urgh... You are stronger than I thought..." She said. "Listen to me, small one... If you go beyond this door, Keep walking as far as you can. Eventually, you will reach an exit." She paused, gasping for breath. She seemed to... to _waver_. "Asgore... Do not let Asgore take your soul. His plan cannot be allowed to succeed. Be good, won't you? My child."  
And just like that, she turned to dust.  
I dropped the stick.  
No...  
 _No..._  
 _ **"Toriel!"**_ I screamed.  
And everything went black...

 _"We don't know what is wrong with her."_  
These were the words the doctor said when Dad and I came in.  
 _"What do you mean? It's not that difficult to tell that something is wrong!"_  
His words shifted between a light red and a pale blue, angry, scared, but neither at the same time.  
 _"Physically, she is fine. But... Every day, she gets weaker. All we can do at this point is keep her on life support and keep her comfortable."_  
I looked into the room.  
Mom was looking out the window, into the stars above.  
In the distance, I could see Mt. Ebott, she'd asked for an unobstructed view when she was brought here.  
I walked over to Mom, who smiled when she saw me.  
 _"Come here, sweetie."_ She said.  
I sat on the bed beside her.  
 _"The doctor says you're not getting any better."_ I said.  
She nodded. _"I know. But, I'm determined."_  
She looked back outside.  
 _"The stars twinkle overhead, Mt. Ebott is silhouetted against their lights. It fills me with determination."_  
This was our promise to each other.  
No matter how bad things got, we would find something, anything, no matter what, and we'd find our determination in it.  
She looked at me and ruffled my hair. _"If you ever make any good friends, even if they were mean to you at first... I'd like to meet them."_  
I smiled. _"I will!"_ I declared. _"Did you have many friends when you were my age?"_ I asked.  
She nodded. _"Yes."_ She looked back at Mt. Ebott. _"I met someone who was like a mother to me. She loved jokes, she and I told so many together... I had another friend, absolutely loved puns. Terribly lazy..."_  
 _"Honey."_ I heard.  
I looked back to see Dad.  
He... was not full of determination...

I sat at the table, silent, as Toriel read her book of snail facts.  
I didn't say anything to her, I just stood still and stayed silent.  
That was the only way to keep her alive, wasn't it?  
It still didn't take away the terror of my own death, it didn't take away the burning guilt I felt deep in my soul.  
I had killed her.  
 _I had killed her._  
I rocked back and forth slightly, Toriel was too engrossed in her book to notice.  
Just stand still, stay silent.  
Everything will work out.  
Everything will stay exactly as it needs to.  
Everything...  
Everything...  
I leaned forward on the table, elbows on the wood, fingers in my hair.  
Just stand still, stay silent. Everything will turn out fine.  
A small noise escaped me.  
"Little one, are you well?" Toriel asked.  
She came to my side, her left hand on my back, her right on the table.  
"J-just a headache." I said.  
"Oh." She said, sighing with relief. "I can take care of that."  
I felt the healing energy fill me.  
But it didn't help.  
"I... I think I need to go for a walk." I said. "I... I saw a spider bake sale the other day."  
She clapped her hands together. "That sounds like a wonderful idea!" She declared. "I shall accompany you..." She paused. "If you would like."  
I looked up at her, startled.  
Did she just ask me for my opinion?  
"Uh..." I sounded lamely. "Sure?"  
She smiled. "I will prepare a snack for us, in case they are out of snacks today."  
She walked into the kitchen, and I remained at the table.  
Had..? Had that actually happened?  
She came back out with a small picnic basket.  
I remembered Him, how He threw the plates at me as I ran.  
His red words, how they assaulted me as he screamed.  
I... wasn't sure what happened, all I knew was I was suddenly under the table, she was calling my name...  
No, she didn't know my name.  
Child.  
She had said child. I was sure of it.  
"Please, speak to me!" She cried out as she got to her knees.  
I took several deep breaths, then I went to her and hugged her, burying my face in her fur.  
She gently lifted me up and took me to her chair, where she sat, holding me.  
I was shaking, and worse, I'd freaked out in front of her.  
"Please, tell me what is wrong." She said.  
I swallowed.  
"I'm afraid of picnic baskets." I lied.  
She was silent, I wasn't sure she believed me.  
"I see..." She said. "Well, when you are feeling better, I will take the basket away and put it where you won't be able to see it."  
I nodded.  
After a few minutes like this, I said, "I'm okay now."  
She gently set me down, and went into the kitchen. After a few moments, she came out. "I need to find a suitable replacement. I will be back shortly."  
She went into the main room. I could hear her footsteps going downstairs.  
Was she pre-emptively destroying the door?  
I followed after, and peeked around the corner.  
She stood at the door, knocking.  
She did this a few times before a voice spoke.  
"who's there?"  
"I donut have many jokes today." She said.  
My jaw dropped.  
"heh, that's a good one. what's up?"  
"If a human ever comes through this door... Could you please, please promise something? Watch over them, and protect them, will you not?"  
There was a long period of silence.  
"i don't like making promises… but for you, i'll do this much. though, i honestly doubt i'll be seeing any humans anytime soon."  
Toriel gave a sigh of relief.  
"Thank you, my friend. It means the world to me."  
I quickly ducked out of the way and hurried upstairs.  
Toriel came into the living room, passed into the kitchen and prepared the snacks again.  
I wondered who she was talking to.  
I pulled the gold I'd gotten from my pockets. I had nineteen coins.  
"Where did you get those, my child?" I heard.  
I looked up to see Toriel carrying a box in her hands.  
"Monsters gave them to me." I said.  
She nodded. "That makes sense. Come, my child, the bake sale awaits."  
I followed her outside, well, as outside as one could get in the Underground.  
"Why do monsters give me money when I Spare them?" I asked.  
She looked startled by my question.  
"It is a gesture of good will." She said. "When a monster starts a Fight, at the end, they usually give some money to the one they fought. It's only good manners."  
I nodded. I guess it made sense.  
I saw the Froggit from earlier, still standing by the door that led to the...  
I shivered.  
"Is something the matter?" She asked.  
I thought for a moment. "There's a knife over there." I said softly.  
She looked alarmed.  
"Can you show me where?" She asked.  
I brought her closer, the Froggit shrank down as we passed.  
"In there, to the left." I said.  
She went in, I heard a short laugh of relief.  
"That is a very good joke, my child." She said, stepping out with it in her hand.  
I... don't remember what happened after that.  
I only remember waking up in her arms, heading back to her home.  
"What happened?" I asked.  
"You fainted!" She cried out. "You are clearly not well, I will have to take you to your bed so you can rest."  
"I'm fine." I said. "Please put me down."  
She glanced down and me, she looked like she was struggling to just whisk me away to my bed with a bowl of hot broth and a thermometer. Like in the cartoons.  
"Are you absolutely sure?" She asked.  
I nodded.  
She set me down, hesitantly.  
"I don't like knives." I said, glancing away.  
She glanced at the box tucked under her arm.  
"The knife that was there was plastic, it could not harm a fly." She replied soothingly.  
"Actually, it could, if you squished the fly with it." I pointed out. "And... I know what happens if a monster gets hit too many times."  
She looked shocked. "Y-you didn't..!"  
"Nobody is dead." I said. _'Anymore.'_ I noted mentally.  
I felt guilty all over again.  
"How did you learn of this?" She asked.  
I looked her in the eyes. "Can't we just... go to the bake sale? Forget any of this happened? Please?" I asked.  
She looked like she wanted to agree.  
"Fine. But, when we get back, I want you to explain."  
She started off again, pausing only for me to catch up.  
Each step was torturous, the guilt weighed down on me with each movement.  
We came into the room with the switches.  
"This puzzle was confusing." I said. "And not in the difficult to solve way."  
Toriel giggled. "I understand completely, little one." She gave me a sly grin. "I know a short cut."  
She led me to a spot in the ground that was weak. "While I do not like it, these weak areas in the ground can make a useful one-way shortcut. I will go first, and catch you when you go."  
I nodded.  
She went down, and I followed.  
She caught me with little trouble, and we climbed up the inevitable shaft to the first of the four switch-rooms.  
We continued into the room where I'd found the ribbon.  
"You went through all of the puzzles by your self." She mused.  
I nodded. "And I met all sorts of monsters. I met Froggits and a Loox, some Migosps, a few Moldsmals, and a nice ghost named Napstablook!" I smiled, "I wonder how he's doing. He looked so sad when I met him."  
We passed by the three Froggits, still no fourth one, and into the area I'd met Napstablook.  
I was diappointed he wasn't here. We went into the room with the spider bake sale, and I put fourteen coins on the web.  
Two donuts were brought out.  
I took them both and held one out to Toriel, who took it gracefully.  
I looked at the cookie, and sighed.  
I put it aside.  
"Is something wrong, my child?" Toriel asked.  
I walked over to where Napstablook had laid and sat on the soft, crinkly leaves.  
She sat across from me.  
"I miss my mom." I said.  
I saw her wince.  
"Your mother..?" She asked.  
I nodded. "Yeah. She's really sick, I... I haven't seen her in a while, but I know she's determined to get better." I smiled. "She looks at Mt. Ebott every day, because it, more than anything else, makes her determined. It's why any time I'm in a bad situation, all I have to do is look around and find something that makes me determined too."  
I saw the box and opened it to grab a snack. I wasn't in the mood for cookies, especially ones made with spiders, I froze when I saw the plastic knife.  
My breathing quickened, but... It wasn't as bad as before.  
I swallowed and picked it up, then gently, _gently,_ set it aside.  
I took out a sandwich and took a bite of it.  
I grimaced. "What is this?" I asked.  
"Snail salad." She replied. "My snail pie is a lot better."  
I kept eating it, at this point, I'd have to get used to it sooner or later.  
"I... want to tell you something." I said.  
"What is it?" She asked.  
I hesitated.  
Every time it came to this, I hesitated.  
"I..." My voice broke and I began to cry.  
"Oh, my child, what is wrong?" She asked.  
"I want to go home." I said.

Author's Note:  
Well, things have gone _completely_ off the rails.  
I knew I'd have to bring up character death some time soon, starting with Frisk seemed the best way to start.  
Though it's not shown in the game, Frisk _has_ to be going crazy from all the moments when they literally die, barring a no-death run. Now, I don't know if it'll take when I publish this chapter, but I've added an early-bird cameo for our favorite comical skeleton. His font should show up in Comic Sans as is proper, a detail many fics leave out, including his tendency to speak in all lower case.  
I'd also wondered at the origins for even _having_ determination to begin with, so it seemed logical that the one our protagonist look up to, their own mother, feeling the same... Well, I think it adds a nice dynamic to the whole thing.  
And now they're able to touch the knife... Three guesses where that will lead. :)


End file.
